Let’s Talk Bella Noche

When we gathered to discuss our specialty pizzas, I was firm that I wanted to do one that embodied an Italian phrase. I have always considered pizza a form of art, and I like the Italian word Bella. There was this Dean Martin song called Bella Notte from Lady and the Tramp. I thought it would make a great pizza name. We printed out our first run of menus, on a shoestring budget, and they misprinted Bella Notte. They printed it as Bella Noche. Notte is Italian for Night, Noche is Spanish for night. The name caught on, and we never bothered to correct it. Plus, the specialty pizza literally translates to beautiful night.

When orchestrating this pizza, we thought about the color combination. We wanted this pie to be visually arresting and physically satiating. We took our organic baby leaf spinach, fresh garlic and combined it with mozzarella, red onions, Roma tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and provolone cheese. This pizza surprises folks the first time they try it. Usually first by how pretty it is and then by how good it tastes. Whether its Notte or Noche, its always a great night when you eat this one!